1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a regulator for refrigerant reclaimers and, more specifically, to condenser and tank pressure controls for refrigerant reclaimers to regulate system and tank pressures at non-excessive levels.
2. Description of Related Art
In the years before it was understood that releasing refrigerants into the atmosphere was harmful to the ozone layer and, therefore, to human health, refrigerants such as Freon were allowed to escape from broken refrigeration units into the atmosphere. Now that the harmful effects of this practice are recognized, servicing technicians are required to reclaim the refrigerant from broken units rather than letting it freely escape. The prior art devices which technicians have used for this function, however, have severe shortcomings in the areas of safety and efficiency. These shortcomings are overcome by the present invention.
Refrigeration units generally include a coil which contains the refrigerant for the system. The refrigerant is under pressure within the coil and is generally in a partially liquid and partially gaseous state. To remove the refrigerant with prior art systems, one end of a hose is connected to the coil, and the other end is connected to the inlet of a compressor. A second hose connects the outlet of the compressor to the inlet of a condenser. A third hose connects the outlet of the condenser to a reclaiming vessel or drum. As the refrigerant is released from the coil of the broken unit, it is in a purely gaseous state due to the reduction of internal pressure. The compressor pumps the gaseous refrigerant from the coil of the broken unit, through the condenser where it is condensed to a liquid state, and into the reclaiming drum.
The problem with the prior art systems is that there has not been a way to control the flow of the refrigerant through the condenser in such a way that the flow remains within the design specifications of the condenser. As a result, too much refrigerant flows through the condenser too quickly, and the temperature and pressure within the condenser rise to a level at which the condenser cannot condense all of the refrigerant. Hot, high-pressure vapor is therefore pumped into the reclaiming drum where temperatures can reach 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and pressures can exceed 400 psi on a hot day. These conditions can be extremely dangerous, as reclaiming drums have been known to explode under these conditions in the past.
In response, reclaiming drums are now manufactured with pressure release plugs which blow out when pressures reach unsafe levels. However, these plugs blow out with tremendous force, and are a safety hazard themselves. Additionally, the plugs cannot be reset, and a new plug must be purchased when one blows out.
The solution in the prior art to the over-heating and over-pressurization problems has been to monitor the temperature and pressure in the reclaiming drum, and when dangerous conditions are approached, to stop reclaiming and refrigerate the drum for 15-30 minutes until the vapor inside is condensed and the dangerous conditions are alleviated. Prior art systems for refrigerating the reclaiming drum include placing the drum in large buckets of ice or dry ice granules. Thus the prior art solution is inefficient because of both the delay involved and the need to carry additional equipment for refrigerating the reclaiming drum. Also, the prior art solution is still dangerous if the conditions of the reclaiming drum are not closely monitored so that reclaiming can be stopped before dangerous limits are exceeded.